Wall socket



P 9, 1940- B. STRAZZABOSCO 6,8

WALL SOCKET Filed July 8, 1937 J7zz[s7z 07".- Zrunoj'ircwabasco, J I

Patented Apr. 9, 1940 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALL SOCKET Bruno Strazzabosco, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 8, 1937, Serial No. 152,561

1 Claim. (01.173-330) The invention relates to wall sockets of the type which are usually mounted in the walls of a room and are adapted to have plugs detachably connected thereto to supply electric current to lamps or other electrical devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a wall socket which is neat and attractive in appearance, compact, and simple in construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wall socket which may be adjusted to accommodate a larger or lesser number of plugs.

One form of the invention is embodied in a wall socket adapted to be mounted in a wall and adapted to have all parts thereof substantially flush with the wall when the wall socket is not in use or when it is adjusted to accommodate a minimum number of plugs. The wall socket may be adjusted to receive a larger number of plugs.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent as the following detailed description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wall socket which embodies the invention, the wall socket being shown mounted in a wall.

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the same line as Fig. 2 but showing certain parts in changed positions, and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing wherein a wall socket embodying a preferred form of the invention is illustrated, the reference character Ill designates a wall socket which is shown mounted in a wall H. The wall socket l comprises a face plate l2, a housing l3 and a bracket H, which members are all supporting members. It will be noted that the bracket I4 is U-shaped and has two outwardly extending lugs l5 which lie between the face plate l2 and outwardly extending flanges I! projecting from the housing l3. Screws l8 secure the face plate I2 to the lugs l5 and the flanges l1. It will be noted that when the apparatus is adjusted as illustrated in Fig. 2, the outer surface of the wall socket I0 is approximately flush with the outer surface of the wall H as it projects beyond the outer surface of the wall II a distance which is only equal to the thickness of the face plate l2.

The face plate I2 is provided with a central opening in which a multiple socket member 22 is slidably mounted. Recesses 23 in the front surface 24 of the socket member 22 are adapted to receive the usual prongs or contacts 25 of plugs 26 of a type well known to those skilled in the art. The prongs or contacts 25 are engageable with cooperating contact members 21 in the recesses 23. It will be noted that the recesses 23 are exposed when the socket member 22 is in the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 2 and also when it is in the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 3 so that a plug 26 may have its prongs 25 brought into contact with the contacts 2! at any time.

A pair of recesses 23a corresponding to the recesses 23 are provided on each side of the forward end of the socket member 22, contacts 21a, corresponding to the contacts 21, being provided in the recesses 23a. When the socket member 22 is in the position wherein it is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 prongs or contacts 25a corresponding to the prongs or contacts 25 and forming parts of plugs 26a may be inserted in the recesses 23a to engage the contacts 21a. The plugs 26a may be identical in construction with the plug 26. The plugs 26 and 26a are of a type commonly employed to connect lamps or other electrically operated devices to wall sockets to obtain the electrical current for operating the lamps, or other electrically operated devices.

The contacts 21 and 21a are connected by suitable conductor 30 to a source of electrical current, a conduit 3| being provided to house the conductors.

It will be. noted that the bracket I3 is provided with two oppositely disposed slots 33 which have enlarged openings 34 at their ends. Riding in each slot 33 is a frustro-conical member 35, the frustro-conical members being slidably mounted on pins 36 screw-threaded in and projecting from the socket member 22. At their outer ends, the pins are provided with heads 38 and intermediate the heads 38 and the. frustro-conical members are compression springs 40. When the socket member 22 is in the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 2, the frustro-conical members 35 are seated in the openings 34 at the inner ends of the slots 33 and it will be readily understood that the action of the springs 40 is such that the socket member 22 will remain in the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 2 until the socket 22 is forcibly withdrawn from that position. The springs are of such strength that one may grasp the forward end of the socket member 22 and pull it forwardly into the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 3 so that the frustro-conical members 35 will 7 engage the openings 34 at the forward ends of the slots 33. Similarly, one may push the socket member 22 from the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 3 to the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 2. Of course, the springs 40 yield when such displacement of the socket member 22 takes place. The face plate (2 is provided with notches 43 to permit one to grasp the forward end of the socket 22 when the socket is in the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 2.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the socket member 22 comprises a body portion 44 which is preferably formed from electrical insulation. The contacts 2'! and 27a are suitably moiuited in the body portion 44 and are suitably connected to the conductors 30. The details of this construction are not shown as they do not form a part of the invention.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed being movable into a position wherein said electrical contacts are disposed within said housing and are not accessible and said socket member being movable also into a position wherein said electrical contacts are accessible, a bracket having a slot therein mounted in said housing, and means including means frictionally engaging the edges of said slot for holding said socket in either its extended or its retracted position.

BRUNO STRAZZABOSCO. 

